Method of making one-piece spoke spiders



June 8, 1937. H. J. HORN ET AL METHOD OF MAKING ONE-PIECE SPOKE SPIDERS Filed Aug. 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet ,1

June 8, 1937.

H. J. HORN ET AL METHOD OF MAKING ONE-PIECE SPOKE SPIDERS Filed Aug. 25, 1934 Z-Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING ONE-PIECE SPOKE SPIDERS Application August 25, 1934, Serial No. 741,473

11 Claims. (Cl. 29-159.01)

The present invention relates to metallic wheel constructions and has particular reference to wheel constructions of the type produced from blanks of sheet metal by operations such as 5 pressing, stamping and rolling.

This application is directed to subject matter which is related to the subject matter of applicants co-pending application Serial No. 51,221 filed November 23, 1935, and a co-pending appli- 10 cation of J. Harold Hunt, Serial No. 682,373, filed July 27, 1933.

The principal object ofthe invention is the provision of an improved method of manufacturing metal wheel structures of the type provided with 15 spokes, in an economical and eilective manner.

An additional object 'is the production of a metallic wheel construction of sturdy and attractive structure.

A further object is to produce metallic wheel 9, constructions with a minimum loss of material. These and other objects will be observed upon a consideration of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of a metallic wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention taken along the line |-l of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a front view of the wheel shown in Figure 1; 30 Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a front view of a square blank from which the wheel is produced; and

Figure 5 -is a front view of a wheel body con 35 structed from theblank shown in Figure 4.

In the manufacture of wheels for automobiles, trucks and the like, it is common to produce 'a wheel of the so-called disk type by suitably stamping or rolling a sheetmetal blank into the 40 desired disk formation. Disk wheels generally are produced in substantially true circular form, portions of the wheel structure being turned over to form rim-supporting elements. It has been recognized as advantageous to produce metallic 45 wheel structures which depart from the disk type by being provided with spoke-like formations formed from the sheet metal out of which the wheel is constructed. In addition to the more attractive appearance of the spoke type metallic 50 wheel, the spoke formations have the advantage of strengthening the wheel structure and lesseningthe chance of the wheel buckling or being otherwise distorted outof its natural shape. To produce conventional spoke-type metallic wheels 55 substantially circular blanks are provided with a central hub opening and are pressed or stamped in a wellknown manner into the desired shape. As sheet metal is produced in the form of substantially rectangular sheets of considerably greater size than required to produce a single 5 Wheel, it is necessary to strike from a large sheet of the raw material a number of substantially circular blanks, and naturally a considerable quantity of sheet metal is lost as waste. This loss of material increases the cost of the finished wheel.

In accordance with the present invention, the metallic spoke wheel constructions are produced from square blanks of proper size, so that there is practically no loss of material, since a large rectangular blank of sheet metal may be cut into squares of the size suited for the production of such Wheels. Thereby, we are able to produce a maximum number of wheels from a given quantity of sheet material.

In the drawings, Figure 4 represents a square blank of sheet metal material properly proportioned to produce a single wheel, the principal lines along which the blank is to be bent or stamped being indicated in dotted lines. The blank is passed through suitable stamping or pressing operations which result in a wheel construction as shown in Figure 5. This Wheel is shown in mounted position in Figures 1 to 3, in which the wheel body it) is provided with a central hub-receiving opening ll surrounded by a plurality of openings l2 through which extend rivets l3. Rivets l3 form an interlock between the wheel structure and a central hub member ll of conventional design. 3

Between the flange l5 of the hub member and the wheel structure is locked the back of a brake drum 16. In order to further strengthen the inner portion of the wheel construction about. the hub-receiving opening II a series of flanges 4 I! are provided between the adjacent openings l2, as is shown in Figures 2 and 5.

In the stamping operation by which the wheel is produced the substantially square blank is pressed forwardly progressively from its outer portions and toward the central hub-receiving opening in substantially convex shape with the inner or central portions of the blank progressively further disposed from the original plane of the blank, as will be seen in Figures 1 and 3, a thereby forming the annular wall l8 and the front walls of the spokes of the wheel. Adjacent the hub opening H the wheel structure is indented to form a backwardly extending annular wall l9 joining the wall I8 to the central 2 wheel attaching portion'of the wheel which lies in substantially the original plane of the blank.

7 It will be understood that the wall l9 ordinarily, is produced at the same time as the wall I! by their away from the original plane of the blank toward the-central portion of the wheel, sumcient material is provided for the indented portions 2| to extend substantially back to the original plane of the wheel. The outer edges 22 of the indented portions between the corners of the blank may be rounded so as to give the appearance of being a part of the same circle, as shown in Figure 2.

The indentations 2i form spoke-like structures 23 at each of the four corners of the blank and provide side walls for the four spokes which extend substantially back to the original plane of the blank and lend strength, as well as the appearance of body. to the spoke structures. The corners of the blank are turned over to form rim-supporting members 24 upon which is demountably positioned a suitable rim or felloe 25. If desired, the rim may be permanently mounted to the wheel body. Lugs 26 lock the rim to the wheel by means of bolts 21 and nuts 28.

Spoke wheels constructed as described have been found particularly advantageous from many standpoints. The wheels are sturdy due to the bracing effect of the combined spoke and indented portions, and the structure is particularly attractive. In some cases it may be found desirable to trim away a portion of the material between the corners of the blank before or after the formation of the indented portions of the finished wheel construction. Also it is preferred that the turned over corner portions of the blank be trimmed to provide proper rim seats. In this way an even lighter wheel is produced without substantial sacrifice of strength. The indented portions form a strong bracing structure for the intermediate spoke portions, the central indentation of the wheel about the hub opening also assisting in this particular.

To provide an effective interlock of the rim to the wheel construction the spoke portions are indented to provide bolt recesses 29. The outer edge of the indented portion 29 may be turned over to form a portion of the rim-supporting element 24. A particularly effective interlock is obtained by providing the rim 25 with indented portions 30 which fit into the bolt receiving indentations 29 of the spoke portions, the lugs 26 fitting against indentations 30 and against the base of the indentations 29.

In manufacture, the square blank from which the wheel is produced may be provided with a central hub-receiving opening ii and openings l2 and then subjected to a stamping operation to form the remainer of the elements of the wheel in one operation.

The use of square blanks permits the construc- 75 tion of spoke wheels in an economical manner from the standpoint of material used and it has been found that the preparation and distribution of material in a square blank are such as to provide a particularly strong wheel which may be pressed with ease into the shape necessary to provide this strength. By the provision of the annular indented portion IS, the annular portion l8 and the curved edges 22, a square blank is made to have the appearance of a circular disk with four spokes connected thereto.

Reference herein and in the appended claims to pressing is intended to include all the various known methods which may be employed for forming the sheet metal into the desired shape. such as stamping and rolling.

Various modifications of the structure and method which has been described heretofore for purposes of illustration and explanation may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and all such changes are intended to be included in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The method of forming a metallic wheel construction, which comprises forming a blank of sheet metal into substantially square shape, pressing said blank outwardly adjacent the corners thereof, indenting said blank radially between said corners to form four bulging spokelike structures, and tuming the outer portion of said comers over to form rim supports of limited circumferential extent.

2. The method of forming wheels which comprises providing a square blank of metal, pressing the metal along the sides of the square blank axially and radially inwardly to form a nave like web from each corner to the adjacent corner, and flanging each of the corners to form rim seats.

3. The method of forming wheels which comprises providing a square blank of metal, bending the edge of the blank at each corner to form a rim seat having a substantial circumferential extent, and pressing the sides of the metal blank between said rim seats axially and radially inwardly to form a nave-like web portion.

4. The method of forming a wheel having four circumferentially spaced rim seats which comprises providing a square blank, pressing the metal along the sides of the square blank to form a nave like-web portion between the comers which extends radially outwardly and axially inwardly, and flanging the blank adjacent the corners to provide the rim seats. 5. In the manufacture .of wheels, the method of making one-piece spoke spiders from a substantially square blank of metal which comprises bending the corners of the blank to form axially extending arcuate rim seats of limited circumferential extent, and pressing the blank inwardly of the rim seats to produce spoke portions at the corners and axially curved web portions between the "corners of less radial extent than the spoke portions.

6. In the manufacture of wheels, the method of making one-piece spoke spiders which comstantially'square blank of metal by utilizing the corner portions of the blank as. spokes which comprises forming arcuate rim seats of limited circumferential extent at the corners and pressing the blank to form nave-like web portions between the corners of less radial extent than the spoke portions at thefour corners.

8. In the manufacture of-wheels, the method of making one-piece spoke spiders from'a substantially square blank of metal by utilizing the corners as spoke portions which comprises cutting away a small portion of the blank along the edge thereof between the corners, bending the extremities of the corners to produce arcuate rim seats of limited circumferential extent, and pressing the blank to produce nave-like web portions between the corners of less radial extent than the spoke portions at the corners.

9. In the manufacture of wheels, the method of making one-piece spoke spiders for assembly with a rim of predetermined internal diameter which comprises providing a substantially square blank of metal, pressing the blank to dish it axially, and forming arcuate rim seats-of limited circumferential extent at the corners of the blank, the initial size of the blank being such that the distance between the opposite sides thereof after the pressing operations is substantially less and the diagonal distance between the rim seats is substantially equal to the predetermined rim diameter.

10. In the manufacture of wheels, the method of making one-piece spoke spiders for assembly with a rimof predetermined internal diameter which comprises providing a substantially square blank of metal, pressing theblank to produce spoke portions at the corners and web portions along the sides between the corners, and forming arcuate rim seats of limited circumferential extent at the corners, the initial size of tne blank being such that the distance between the opposite sidesthereof after the pressing operations is substantially less than the diagonal distance between the rim seats at the corners is substantially equal to the predetermined rim diameter.

11. In the manufacture of wheels, the method of making a one-piece spoke spider from a substantially square blank of metal which comprises forming spoke portions at the corners and web portions between the corners as by pressing the metal of the blank axially and radially so that the radial extent of the web portions is less than that of the spoke portions, and pressing the extremities of the corners to form arcuate ,rim seats of limited circumferential extent.

J HAROLD HUNT. HARRY J. HORN. 

